Rafael Nadal in 2004. Getty Images Korea
Tennis legend Rafael Nadal (Spain), who is retiring from active duty this season, is famous for not breaking a single racket in his professional career. Nadal, who began playing tennis in earnest at the age of 9 and has used French tennis equipment brand Babolat rackets (signed as a sponsor since he was 12), has used 1,250 rackets and has never lost his temper on the rackets.
It is even more special because it is rare to see even on tour. Most players show extreme behavior, such as throwing or breaking their racket, when their play does not go as planned or the game is not going well. But Nadal was different. Even in unfavorable situations, I stayed calm, maintained a positive attitude, and played with all my might without giving up until the game was won.
Andy Murray (Great Britain), who played as a rival at the same time and announced his retirement at the end of this season along with Nadal, said, “Nadal is probably the only player who did not throw his racket because he was angry.” He revealed, “I often saw him throwing .” Murray is a player who often vents his anger on his racket.
On the 21st, the British BBC shed new light on Nadal’s career after his retirement with an article titled ‘Why does Nadal’s retirement mean so much?’ Nadal has won 22 major tournaments, ranked second all-time in this category, and has amassed amazing records, including 92 tour titles, two Olympic gold medals, four Davis Cup wins, and No. 1 world ranking for 209 weeks. In particular, the records left on clay courts, such as winning the French Open 14 times, are likely to become immortal records in the future.
Nadal put down his tennis racket for the last time at the 2024 Davis Cup Finals held at the Jose Maria Martin Carpena Sports Palace in Malaga, Spain, on the 20th. Nadal announced his retirement at the end of this year, and announced that his final stage would be the Davis Cup, a national competition. Nadal played in the first singles match against the Netherlands in the quarterfinals, but lost.
On this day, fans flocked from all over Spain to watch Nadal’s retirement match. Tickets, which were 55 euros (about 81,000 won), rose to 25,000 euros (about 36.84 million won). With global attention focused on Nadal’s retirement, the city of Malagas hung a huge banner reading ‘Thank you Nadal (GRACIAS, RAFA)’ on the track and field stadium opposite the competition stadium.
‘BBC’ said, “When Nadal debuted on the ATP Tour in 1999 at the age of 15, he attracted attention as a teenage player with outstanding potential and as the nephew of Miguel Angel, who plays for the prestigious Spanish soccer club Barcelona.” “But when he retired, “He is considered the most outstanding sports star beyond the tennis world.”
Rafael Nadal retires from Davis Cup. Getty Images Korea
BBC commentator Feliciano Lopez, who played with Nadal as a Spanish tennis player, said, “Nadal is the biggest player in the history of Spanish sports.” Spanish sports stars such as Arsenal (England) coach Miguel Arteta, Aston Billy (England) coach Unai Emery, Barcelona legend Andrés Iniesta, and Spanish-produced NBA star Pau Gasol are among the best in all sports. The person he considers as a player is also Nadal.
One tennis fan who visited Nadal’s retirement match said, “Nadal means everything. He was not only the best player, but also a player with good values, respect for his rivals, humility, and above all, a great fighting spirit. “Nadal inspires people to fight against all the problems they face in life.”
Nadal has a humanity that is clearly different from other sports stars. He is also famous for maintaining a sponsorship contract with the Korean brand KIA, which sponsored him when he was injured, even after he established himself as a global star. His affection for his hometown Mallorca is also special. Even though I traveled all over the world, I never left Mallorca. During the 2018 Mallorca floods, he opened the academy he runs as a shelter to help victims, and became a hot topic by participating in the recovery work himself. He also donated 1 million euros to rebuild the affected area.
A tennis fan takes a commemorative photo in front of the Rafael Nadal retirement banner in front of Malaga Stadium in Spain, where the Davis Cup was held. Getty Images Korea
